323rd Annual Sessions
March 27-30, 2003– Arch Street Meeting House, Philadelphia

Minute of Concern on Iraq

The following minute was approved March 29, 2003, at the 323rd Annual Sessions of Philadelphia Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends.

As members of Philadelphia Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends, we are appalled and deeply saddened by the United States government’s implementation of a doctrine of pre-emptive war with its attack on Iraq. William Penn reminds us that: “a good end cannot sanctify evil means; nor must we do evil, that good may come of it.” At the same time, we have been heartened by the formation of a global peace movement that opposes this war and supports the United Nations as the keystone of an international system of law and diplomacy.

The Quaker peace testimony is an expression of our religious experience, which grounds our belief that war is contrary to the Spirit of God and the teachings of Jesus, and which encourages us to live “in the virtue of that life and power that takes away the occasion of all wars.”

Accordingly, we recommit ourselves today to work with people of faith and good will to end the war against Iraq, to help alleviate the suffering it is causing, and to do whatever can be done to build a culture of peace. More specifically, we shall seek, through our Monthly Meetings as well as individually, to do actions including the following:

1. Strengthen the faith communities to which we belong and which nurture our peace work.
2. Support the humanitarian assistance to Iraq being undertaken by the American Friends Service Committee. [AFSC, 1501 Cherry Street, Philadelphia PA 19102. afscinfo@afsc.org]
3. Support the efforts of the Friends Committee on National Legislation to persuade the Administration and Congress to respect the rule of international law and to abandon the policy of pre-emptive war. [FCNL, 245 Second Street SE, Washington DC 20002. fcnl@fcnl.org].
4. Support the Quaker United Nations Office in its quiet diplomacy [QUNO, 777 United Nations Plaza, New York NY 10017. qunony@afsc.org]
5. Address conditions – such as poverty, injustice, environmental degradation, ignorance, powerlessness, and oppression – that lead to war, including our own actions and attitudes that contribute to those conditions. (For example, implement the Minute of Concern for Energy Stewardship in Meeting Facilities and Households, which was approved by Interim Meeting in January 2003.)
6. Pray, vigil and witness for peace and reconciliation in concert with people of faith and good will, and engage in appropriate forms of political action laboring with our elected officials.
7. Seek our own leadings on how each of us can live into the spirit of this minute.

Arlene Kelly, Clerk

Copyright © 2003, Philadelphia Yearly Meeting

Last modified: Wednesday, February 18, 2004 at 08:19 AM